Rev. Benjamin Safer was the first Rabbi to the orthodox Jewish community of Jacksonville, Florida. Born and raised in Lithuania, the son of a learned scholar and scribe, Safer moved to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century at the request of the Jacksonville community. In addition to his rabbinical duties, Safer also acted as the community cantor, kosher butcher and mohel. Assembled here is a collection of his writings, including personal letters, notebooks (pinkasim) jottings and sermonettes. The collection was donated by Dr Edwin Safer, a former alumnus of the University of Florida. Researchers wishing to consult these materials should refer to the online finding aid